Citizen's Arrest/Not Permitted/Detention Exemptions
Introduced
Moved
Reached a final decision
Became law
Derived from the official record below.
Officially: “AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO ARREST AND DETENTION.” Read the full text
153rd General Assembly
What it does
This Act prohibits arrest or detention by any person who does not have explicit statutory authority to carry out an arrest or detention. The intent of this provision is to eliminate any doubt that a “citizen’s arrest” is not permitted in Delaware. Peace officers have statutory authority to make arrests, as do federal law enforcement agents and out-of-state police under some circumstances. There is also limited authority to detain a person suspected of shoplifting provided to a merchant, store su
From the official legislative record, shown verbatim. Not legal advice.
Where it is
Introduced · May 1, 2025
Signed · Jul 15, 2025
Latest official status shown, exactly as the official record states it. The step by step history lives on the official page linked below.
The numbers
1
sponsor on the bill
Sponsors
Recorded votes
Recorded voteSenate · 2025-06-30 · Passed · Yes 17, No 4, NotVoting 0, Conflict 0, Absent 0, Vacant 0
Recorded voteHouse · 2025-06-17 · Passed · Yes 24, No 12, NotVoting 0, Conflict 0, Absent 5, Vacant 0
Roll-call results shown verbatim from the Delaware legislature’s records. A result reflects that roll call’s own motion, not the bill’s overall outcome.
Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record. Last action: Signed (Jul 15, 2025).